


Your Cold Heart

by cissy7483



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blood Drinking, Bloodplay, Bondage, Dark Daryl, F/M, Heart fail, Mates, Non-Canonical Violence, Smut, Sorry Not Sorry, Vampires, not fluffy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2017-02-08
Packaged: 2018-08-14 04:17:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7998274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cissy7483/pseuds/cissy7483
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was the most cold and distant person she had ever met. He wanted nothing to do with her until one day... he did. Will he let her in on his secret or will he destroy her? Something tells her it's the latter and she couldn't feel more excited!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1: The End

It was a sunny day when things went to hell in a hand basket. The birds were singing their songs, the breeze was gentle and serene. Hell, even his brother was happily singing an old song they had heard as children as they walked through the woods near the only place they called home, in search of prey.

Daryl wasn't falling for any of it though. He always could sense when things were about to turn bad. And right now, every instinct inside him was telling him to turn around and high tail it back to where they came from. Or go a different direction. Either was fine with him!

"Ey, Merle? Let's head back, yeah?"

"What for, baby brother? S'not like we hadn't done this before. What you so scared of, Daryl?"

Daryl scratched the back of his neck as he wondered the same thing. Why was he feeling nervous? "Don't know. Just got this feeling is all. Like we're walking to our deaths.."

Merle laughed loudly and shook his head in amusement. "Well, if you're too scared to hunt Peter cottontail, I suggest ya turn round and head home. But ol' Merle's gonna get us some rabbit for supper!"

They trekked on for another thirty minutes before Daryl heard a growl coming from a nearby thicket of thorn bushes. He halted his movements while holding his hand up to Merle in a signal of silence. Merle stopped his walking immediately and his ears seemed to perk to attention.

The rustling became louder as they both stood frozen in place. Daryl knew no wild animal sounded like that and the hairs on the back of his neck prickled in anticipation of what was to come.

What finally emerged from the tangled brush caught both brothers by surprise but both sighed in relief, lowering their weapons.

A woman who looked fairly young stood confidently in front of them, seeming to size them up. Merle grinned flirtatiously, of course and the woman started to grin widely in response.

"Well hey there, boys. What are you handsome fellas doing out here all by yourselves?" She asked with a sultry lilt to her voice.

Daryl wasn't quite sure what to make of this lady. Something wasn't right about her, that was for sure but he couldn't help that he was instantly fascinated with her voice. And how there seemed to be a glow around her. And her eyes... they looked so hypnotizing. Like she could control him with just one look...

"Now that you're here sweet cheeks, I don't rightly recollect the reason but I'm sure ya can give ol' Merle an idea of some activities you and I can get into!"

The woman's eyes lit up excitedly and her grin became wider, it seemed. It was then that Daryl noticed a weird sparkle in her black eyes, almost like a lone star that glimmered in the dark pupils. He nudged Merle roughly and gestured behind them, "Let's just get outta here Merle, this woman don't seem right."

But as Daryl turned to walk away, he noticed that Merle seemed to be enamored with the woman and had no intentions of leaving.

"What the hell you doin' to my brother, huh?" he spoke directly to her and her dark eyes shifted to him for a millisecond.

"He'll be a tasty snack but you're going to be the real prize. Far too valuable for what I have planned for your simple brother." She advanced on Merle quicker than Daryl could blink and they were on the ground in seconds, the woman completely towering over Merle, her rosy lips attached Merle's neck. All Daryl could hear were greedy gulps, as if she were sucking something out of him. Daryl wasn't strong or quick enough because as he pulled and prodded at the woman to let his brother go, she seemed to latch on even tighter.

He felt useless and traitorous tears started rolling down his face as he watched the life being sucked from the only relative he had left on this god for saken earth. And here was a... he couldn't call her a woman; no, she was a 'thing.'

When she finally pulled back from Merle, it sent Daryl tumbling backwards onto the ground in shock. He wasn't sure what he had just seen and in a way, he wished he could un-see it almost immediately.

The woman wiped her crimson stained lips with the sleeve of her sweater and grinned once again only this time, Daryl was the reciever this time.

"Now it's your turn, hunny... Only this time, I won't kill you unlike your dumb brother. I have a feeling you're going to be very useful to me..."

And then he happened so quickly that he had no chance to fight back. He soon found himself in the same position his brother had been in. Laid out on the forest floor with a demon-woman latched onto his neck. As much as he tried, he couldn't push her off and before he knew it, she pulled back and looked at him, as if waiting for something to happen.

Standing to her full height, she took the underside of her arm to her mouth and seemed to bite down. Black liquid started dripping immediately and through Daryl's dazed state, he knew it wasn't regular blood. Couldn't be.

"Drink, my son." She purred, holding her wrist to his closed mouth. He shook his head no and she sighed, obviously not amused.

Seeming to solve the problem, she gripped the back of his neck with the other arm and forced his lips to wrap around the wound. When he wouldn't drink the offending liquid like she requested, she then plugged his nose forcing his mouth open. The thick nectar oozed into his mouth, making him want to gag visciously but she wouldn't allow that. Instead, she held his body tighter to her, forcing every drop into his mouth. When finally finished, she let him go roughly and he fell once again to the ground, dry-heaving on nothing.

"Maybe next time you'll do as I say, human."


	2. Part 2: The Fire

His skin felt like it was on fire. That's the first thing he felt when he awoke alone on the forest floor, Merle's dead body lying not far from him. He held back a sob as he tried to get up but no matter how much he tried, his limbs wouldn't seem to move. Were his eyes even open? He really couldn't tell at that moment because everything inside of him hurt.

'It's almost time, my son.. soon you will awaken to a new world where anything is possible...' the voice spoke into his mind. He faintly recognized the voice but couldn't concentrate enough on why he knew it.

'What the fuck did you do to me?' He asked inside his mind although it made him feel crazy doing so.

The voice chuckled and became softer, almost childlike in it's tone. 'Just wanted to have some fun... it's so boring here. I don't see how you humans thrive! You'll thank me one day for the gift I gave you. Sadly, your brother had to die. He wasn't cut out for immortal life. He would've squandered it and brought attention to himself. But you... you hide a lot of secrets inside you. I knew you'd be perfect!' He heard her chuckle again before his vision went black and he finally succumbed to the darkness.

When he awakened again, his eyes opened quickly and before he knew it, he was standing upright. 'What the hell?'... he thought, confused that he had already stood before thinking it.

Looking around, he half expected someone to be with him but he couldn't see anyone. His throat burned something fierce and he felt a violent urge run through his veins. He had always had a quick temper but something seemed different. He ifelt/i different. It was as if he were having an adrenaline rush that wouldn't stop and he felt invincible. He could hear things that he couldn't hear before, like the light sound of steps that he heard not too far from himself. With instincts he wasn't aware he had, he sniffed the air and something coppery infiltrated his senses. Before he knew what was happening, he was running.

The culprit of the light steps started running also, going through the forest in a desperate zigzag, obviously not sure of what direction to go. But the closer Daryl came to the scent, the more intune he became with the 'thump, thump' that sounded from it's chest. If he weren't in such a frenzy, he'd have stopped to wonder why he could hear the creature's heartbeat. Why he could hear the blood flowing through its' veins. And why when he had finally caught the poor creature, his teeth automatically latched onto the creatures carotid artery, drinking it's blood.

As soon as the animal was completely drained, Daryl dropped it in disgust. Looking down at his hands, he didn't see a drop of blood like he expected. The way he had felt, he just knew that he had ripped the animal to shreds. And then he realized the animal in question had been a deer. How in the world did he catch it? He looked around himself in awe, confusion clouding his mind but he didn't feel overwhelmed nor anxious about it. All he could feel was calm. His heart wasn't beating out of his chest like he expected. He placed his hand on his chest, waiting to feel the familiar thump of his heart but felt nothing. His eyes widened in horror as he tried to rationalize in his head why that would be. A logical explanation, at least.

"It's dead." That voice piped in again that he found so familiar, although this time the voice was very near him. He looked over to the person in question and everything came back all at once. "What?" he asked, rage clouding his vision.

"Your heart. It's dead. That's why you no longer feel it beating." the woman seemed bored and glanced at her fingernails.

"What did you do to me?!" He raged and charged at her, only to meet air. He looked up and saw her, standing idly on a tree branch. He stood there just staring at the woman, every fiber in his being wanting to kill her with no mercy.

"I made you better. You were weak."

"Yeah, I heard you the first time you said that while I was burning. But what am I?"

"You're now an ancient race. A vampire. You'll live forever now. You can't be killed. You can't be hurt. You're no longer affected by human disease, decay nor death. You're invincible!"

He stared at her in shock, not quite believing what he was hearing. That couldn't be possible. Vampires don't exist.

"But they do, Daryl. You should have realized that the moment you completed your first hunt. Drank the life blood out of its' veins. Didn't it feel marvelous?"

Once he thought about it, it did feel pretty good. The blood flowing down his throat, feeling completely full.

He shook his head once again and just stood there, completely speechless.

"Don't you feel stronger? Faster? You can take any living being in a fight and not lose. With the exception of other vampires, of course. Which in that case, you'll figure that out yourself."

"Are you my mentor now or somethin'? Gonna teach me about this life and all that other stuff?" He asked, as she suddenly cackled.

"Oh heaven's no! That's not my style. I do it merely for the fun of watching someone turn! Watching someone writhe in pain is pure bliss! But no, the rest... you're going to have to figure the rest out for yourself."

And with those parting words, the woman vanished with dust being the only sign of her departure. Daryl stared in a raged silence, contemplating on going after her and killing her. But after what she had said, he really didn't want to deal with that right now. He had other important matters to attend...

Like the fact that he was now a vampire.

And he had absolutely no clue as to how to handle it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Author's Note: Not at the Bethyl point yet by no means but I promise, we're getting there! These aren't long chapters, I know but I'm starting on the third one as we speak. Please review if you like the story! And PS, a little question for you all! If you could choose a time period, decade, century, etc. that you think he'd fit right in, let me know either in reviews or PM's! I'm considering having Daryl be a lot older (in vamp years) than how old he is, in canon. So, please! Let me know! Thanks again for reading and I promise, it'll get better! I'm a first time writer so... this is all new for me! :)


	3. Part 3: Time Flies

Part 3: Time flies

Daryl Dixon had never been much of a social being so after the transformation into a vampire, his social life really didn’t suffer that much. He was still a loner who kept to himself and shut people out of his life. He didn’t see the need for that nonsense and didn’t want to depend on anyone but himself. So in a way, he was thankful for his new life for the simple fact that humans now kept their distance even more than if he were still human. Children looked at him curiously and adults would automatically shield them from his view, probably urged by their fear of him. And also the fact that he sent glares in every direction when in the presence of them.

Starting out, he had hunted animals without even thinking. As a human, his family had relied on their hunting of animals for sustenance. So when he became a vampire, the idea of hunting game and devouring them in a different way, was second nature to him. He had always been accustomed to it.

But after a while, he became bored with the hunt and seemed to come across the same animals constantly. He grew bored and wanted a challenge. He wanted real blood-curdling fear to come from his prey and he just wasn’t getting it from deer, rabbits and the like.

~*~  
An Undetermined Time, Earlier

His thirst had started becoming unbearable as the days passed him by. Due to there being human hunters in the woods near his home, he didn’t have much of a chance to quench his thirst. He knew the season was coming to an end and the humans would return back to their homes, none the wiser that the animals they hunted were slowly dwindling in numbers with a new predator on the loose. That predator being him, of course.

So when the last day of deer season approached, he grew anxious to start hunting again. It had been too long and he had held out as long as he possibly could, to avoid being near the alluring scent of the humans’ blood. He had no intentions of becoming a full-fledged monster but if he was being honest with himself, he was becoming bored with his existence. 

As he made to chase a lone buck that had been following a doe, his instincts once again took over. Only this time as he stealthily approached his prey, a new but familiar scent filled his nostrils causing him to stop dead. His lips curled over his teeth automatically, a low growl rumbling from his chest as his mind shifted into a blank slate, only one thing on his mind. Blood.

Some part of him screamed to himself to stop, that he was currently tracking a human. But another part; a much darker part that he didn’t know existed, whispered to just let go. Enjoy the hunt and damn to hell anyone that stood in his way.

Not caring to debate with himself he kept tracking the human, listening as it’s heartbeat grew closer and closer. He could practically feel the blood pulsing through the mans’ veins and his mouth pooled with the silver liquid that pulsed through him.

Climbing a tree, he perched himself on a branch as he watched the man collect traps from various places in the forest. Daryl was taken back to memories of himself doing the same as a human and a little part of him felt guilty for what he was about to do. But of course the darkness inside himself overpowered that guilt as quick as it came.  
Grinning to himself, he decided to play a little. He hadn’t had any fun in ages, it seemed and he felt superior now. Maybe even a little vain. 

Swiftly climbing from the tree so the human wouldn’t hear, he made a rustling sound as he walked. He wanted the man to hear him. Taking a stance he hadn’t took in a long time, he felt somewhat like his old human self.

“Having any luck today? I swear these damn deer ain’t wantin’ to come out today.” he said, catching the man off guard. “Name’s Daryl. Just wandering round out here ‘fore I head home to the ol’ lady.”

The man visibly relaxed although he still seemed a little wary. “Yea… Same here. S’Like they hear us comin’ or somethin’..” He picked up another trap and continued to walk away but Daryl wasn’t deterred in the least. He even side-stepped the man to pick up another trap that had been set before it could be picked up. Handing it to him, Daryl made sure to light graze the man’s hand letting him feel the cold-ness of his hand.

He shuddered momentarily before backing up once again, away. Daryl felt absolutely giddy at that moment. He could smell the faint scent of beer on the man and knew he was slightly intoxicated. Much like his old man once was, most of the time.

That seemed to trigger something inside Daryl because one minute, he was standing idly by taking his time. The next minute, the man’s neck was already snapped in Daryl’s hand. Not bothering to think, he started to drink and once again, was taken by the darkness.

~*~

He grinned at the memory as he walked the streets of his local town, in search of some stimulation for the night. The hunt was all he craved, all he wanted.

And he’d do anything to keep that feeling going. To feel the rush of the hunt, the fear of his prey. It was so palpable that he could feel it rush through his whole being.

~*~

Since he didn’t sleep, time seemed to lag on but at the same time it flew right by before he could make sense of anything that was going on.

One day, all things were right in the world and the next, people were turning into the un-dead left and right. He kept his distance, waiting to see how it all would turn out. Observed the behavior of the infected people and how quickly it spread. And most importantly, how to kill the damned things.

They took mere hours to turn (unlike himself) and after the turning, they were like nothing he’d ever seen. They decayed quickly but their thirst for human flesh was unquenchable. Anybody they bit or ate for that matter, turned into the same things once a certain amount of time passed. And the cycle went over and over. It was very repetitive, in his opinion and the humans were freaking the hell out.

And in a way, he was freaking out too. Because the more humans that turned, the numbers of sustainable blood sources were diminishing. He didn’t like that.

If he could feed on the un-dead, he would but the mere scent of their rotten flesh turned his stomach. He knew if he fed off of them, it wouldn’t satisfy him at all and he wasn’t quite sure what it would do to him.

So as the humans panicked and turned on each other, he thoughts of plans. Ways to keep himself sustained but still under the radar. He knew he had to infiltrate a group of people or person, who could supply him with what he needed. He still didn’t know how he would accomplish it without the humans noticing but he knew he had no choice in the matter. It was either that, animals or starve. He wasn’t necessarily opposed to the drinking of animals but that was his last resort. He knew it would be difficult to quit human blood cold turkey and he’d probably alternate between the two. But for the time being, he had to keep up the human diet for just a bit longer…

He was an addict and he didn’t forsee himself quitting that addiction anytime soon.


	4. Part 4: Other Side

Part 4: The Other Side

Beth Greene didn't know how she had gotten to where she was without the people by her side. Rick, Michonne, Glenn, Maggie… They had almost lost her daddy when he had been bitten by a walker on the leg but thanks to Rick's quick thinking, her daddy had made it through. Without a leg but again, he was still living to see another day.

They still hadn't cleared out all of the Walkers from the prison but were slowly working on it. They all knew they had to hurry so that Lori could properly give birth without having to worry about Walkers nipping at her heels.

When the time finally came for Lori to give birth, it definitely hadn't been as planned. Maggie, Carl and Lori ended up getting cornered in the boiler room with Walkers outside the door, banging relentlessly to get inside. That had spurred on Lori's labor and unfortunately, she didn't make it to see her new daughter. Rick had been grief-stricken of course and had went a little crazy for a few weeks but they had made it through it. Glenn, Tyrese and Bob had went on a run to get formula for the baby while the rest stayed behind.

And it had all worked out.

That happiness of course couldn't last forever, though. With them all being in such tight quarters inside the prison, a sickness had spread throughout the people. Some had made it, others hadn't. The ones who didn't survive, turned throughout the night, turning others while everyone slept. Everyone finally had to be separated and quarantined away from those who were still healthy.

When Bob, Tyrese and Michonne had decided to go on a run for antibiotics, Beth had wanted to tag along so badly. She knew that along with the medicine, Judith needed some supplies also.

After talking with Hershel, he and Rick had agreed that Beth tagging along would be alright. They knew that Michonne would keep an eye on her and maybe even teach her some things to help her survive, god forbid anything happened and they were separated one day.

Maggie wasn't thrilled at the idea but with Hershel's blessing, she didn't really have a say in the matter. Glenn reassured her that Beth would be just fine, especially with Michonne covering her.

It didn't take long for them to find a drug store to raid and after finding everything they needed, they decided to hunker down for the night since it was beginning to get dark.

"You doing okay, Beth?" Michonne asked, worry evident in her eyes.

Nodding hesitantly, "Yeah, just gonna take some getting use to. Ain't never really been on a run before."

"You'll get used to it, it gets easier every time I go."

With those words, everyone drifted off into a peaceful slumber with Tyrese keeping watch for the first few hours.

"Get up, we've got company!"

It couldn't have been long that they were sleeping. And they all knew that Tyrese wouldn't have woken everyone up for nothing so at his voice, they all jumped to attention automatically.

"What's going on?" Michonne asked, noticing Tyrese was staring out the window, seeming confused by something.

"I don't know… It isn't a walker but… I'm not sure. He's just standing there. Looking like he knows we're here.."

Michonne followed Tyrese's gaze and spotted a man standing in the middle of the road, sure enough staring at the building that they occupied. His lips were moving but they could hear nothing.

Shaking her head, Michonne opened the door and cautiously stepped outside.

"Couldn't hear you… Are you alright?"

The man acted as if he had just noticed her outside and smirked slightly.

"I said, there's a herd comin' this way. If ya don't wanna get caught up in it, there's an old cabin right up the hill there where I've been staying. Be happy to oblige ya and let y'all spend the night."

She eyed him suspiciously, then glanced behind her at her fellow companion.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?"

He shrugged his shoulders and walked closer. His steps were precise but he seemed to be making a point to seem nonchalant.

"Don't make no damn to me if ya believe me or not. Just thought I'd make the offer. Ain't wantin' ya to stay forever. Just get away from the herd and y'all can be on your merry way by mornin'."

Considering his offer, Michonne held up her finger signalling the man to wait a minute. Walking back inside, she looked over to Beth, Tyrese and Bob. If there were any chance of a herd coming their way, she knew that some of them wouldn't make it. Beth was just learning how to defend herself in this new world and she didn't want to risk losing the girl after Hershel entrusted her with the task of taking care of her.

"Ain't got all day, woman. They'll be here in bout 15 minutes."

Nodding to herself, "Let's go. Don't really have a choice and I don't want to take the risk of not listening to him. Plus, he might have food and water."

All four of them started to make their way outside and Michonne couldn't help but notice the mans' eyes light up the minute he spotted Beth. Gripping the handle of her katana, Michonne vowed to keep an eye on Beth while she slept. The mans' eyes were devious as they devoured Beths' small frame.

"Think ya could lead us there instead of gawking?" She asked the man, giving him a pointed glare.

He threw his hands up in surrender, smirking once again. "Sorry, sorry! Just haven't seen a beautiful lady in a long time. Had to make sure she was real…" Again, with the devious nature.

"Well… keep your hands off. She's not up for grabs."

Daryl regarded the small group of humans with an amused smile as they all followed him to the cabin that he had been hunkered down in. There really had been a herd of Walkers but they weren't anywhere close to the drug store like he had claimed.

He had no plans to approach the people but when he caught a whiff of the sweetest scent he had ever encountered, he knew he had to find out who it belonged to.

And soon as the little blonde woman stepped outside, he knew it had been her he had caught the scent of. He knew then that he couldn't leave this group and had to find some way to ease himself into their good graces. He had a feeling they were holed up somewhere else where there would be a lot more people.

The sword lady saw right through him the moment the blonde girl stepped outside and although the woman had spunk, she would be no threat to him. If he wanted to, he could grab the girl and take off before any of the others could blink.

But he wouldn't be doing that. He wanted to enjoy the hunt. Play with her head a little.

So with that thought in mind, his back straightened and he became the Daryl DIxon that had died so long ago. And with a growled grunt, he ushered the people to the little cabin on the hill, waiting for his opportunity to be invited to their camp.


	5. Part 5: The Act of Caring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a long chapter, I know! And I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long... Hurricane Matthew hit us back in October and sadly, we lost our house. We've been in the process of moving into a new one and after finally being settled in, I have a chance to write a little... 
> 
> I don't know when I'll update again or if it'll be long chapters but... I'm thinking of putting this story up for adoption if anyone wants it. If you do, PM me and we'll work something out.
> 
> Again, thanks for reading!

It took about an hour to reach the cabin that Daryl occupied. Michonne kept Beth tucked between herself and Tyrese the whole way there, out of Daryl's view. She didn't know what it was about that man but something seemed fishy to her. Throughout the whole walk to the cabin, she kept catching Daryl stealing glances at Beth. The girl blushed every single time he looked at her and it seemed to entertain him. Michonne didn't like that and she suspected that Rick nor Hershel would appreciate him giving her those 'looks.'

"How much farther?" Her tone was clipped and suspicious. Her main goal was to get them safely in the cabin, sleep it off for the night and make for the prison the next morning safe and sound.

The mysterious man grunted and kept walking. She stared after him in contempt and if it weren't for the safety of her people, she'd shoot him in the head right then and there.

Seeming to sense that she was getting frustrated with him, Daryl took a deep exasperated breath and answered her. "Only a mile or two more is all. Don't worry, we'll be there by nightfall at the latest."

* * *

Daryl was really starting to get fed up with the sword warrior. If it weren't for the delectable girl, he'd suck them all dry and maybe keep one or two as prisoners until he needed sustenance again. But as it were, he wanted the girl too badly and was looking forward to his future escapades with her. So like it or not, he had to make the sword lady like him or at least tolerate him.

True to his word, after another mile they spied a small cabin on a hill away from the highway. It was nothing fancy nor really all that big but it offered them the shelter they would need for the night.

"Hey man, you got any food here? Something we can tide ourselves over with until tomorrow?" The hulking man asked, causing a light-bulb to go off in Daryl's head. 

"Not really. I was on a hunt when I spotted y'all at the store but hadn't caught nothing yet. If you'll hold tight, I'll go see if I can't scrounge us up something." The relief on the man's face was palpable as well as the rest of the group. Looking at them, you'd be blind not to see they were starving for something to eat.

The sword lady stood at attention and glanced to the hulk, "Think you two can keep an eye on Beth? I'll go and help, get us fed faster."

If Daryl weren't already dead, he'd put a bullet into his brain right now. Since the lady wanted to accompany him, it'd take longer to hunt his prey and bring it back. He couldn't exactly do it 'his' way while she watched. 

So summoning up the patience he knew he possessed somewhere, he and the sword lady left the cabin in search of dinner.

* * *

 

It turned out that it wasn't so hard to hunt with the sword lady. She didn't really question him on where they were going, only followed his lead when he said he was onto the tracks of an animal. Smart and tough lady that she was, she obviously didn't know much about hunting prey which worked to his advantage and made the hunt go by faster. In no time, they had bagged two rabbit and a few squirrels. She seemed so excited at the prospect of having a good meal that she didn't seem to question how he found the prey so fast or how his aim with the crossbow was so accurate. 

"don't see many hunters like you where I come from." the words escaped her lips before she could reign them back in and Daryl could sense that she said more than she wanted.

"yeah, me neither but had to learn young. couldn't depend on my pa to provide anything for my brother and me." They were currently making their way back to the cabin and Michonne decided that her best bet would be to get to know the man that was providing food for them.

"oh yeah? where's your pa and brother now? They make it?"

Daryl snorted to himself, "Nah. My pa got sick years ago and died. My brother was bitten. Didn't make it" Technically, Daryl wasn't lying. His brother had been bit... but not by a walker and certainly not anytime in the recent past.

"Sorry to hear that... Nobody really has anyone anymore. Especially not family. But at least you made it, right?"

"Yeah... I guess I did."

* * *

Once they were both back at the cabin, Daryl threw a few pieces of wood into a wood stove that the past occupants of the house had installed. Figuring it was once a hunting cabin is what made him take up residence there temporarily. It was the easiest way to get humans to come, thinking they would have a warm meal and soft bed to sleep on. Putting the already dressed carcasses into a pot of water, he let it boil for a while and then added some rice he found in one of the cupboards. He could hear his human guests' stomachs rumbling and their mouths watering as the aroma filled the small space.

"We can't tell you how much we appreciate this... It means the world to us." Bob said, taking the bowl of food that Daryl offered. After everyone was served, they all sat down at a table to eat.

Daryl stood in the corner watching them as they ate. Or at least until a soft voice spoke up.

"Aren't you going to eat?" the shy voice asked and he turned to her, amazed that she had finally spoken up.

He cleared his throat awkwardly and assessed the girl. "Yeah, just wanted to make sure everyone else had their share."

Grumbling to himself, he took a bowl from the cupboard and reluctantly put a spoon-ful of the foul-smelling food in the bowl. In all his years of being a vampire, he had only tried human food once and after an hour or so of eating it he'd bring it back up.

But since he was surrounded by humans, he hadn't even thought about the fact that they'd find it odd if he didn't at least eat something when it was available.

Taking his bowl back to the corner with him, he slowly ate it and occasionally he'd slosh some out of his bowl without the humans noticing.

Soon enough, all of the humans were full and ready for sleep. Daryl volunteered to take first watch and then Michonne. It didn't take long for everyone to fall asleep and as soon as they were, Daryl breathed a sigh of relief.

"You aren't human, are you?" that soft voice once again interrupted his musings and he stared at her in shock for a moment.

"What're you talkin' about, girl?" he made sure to glare at her for a moment, hoping to scare her a bit but judging by the un-wavering look she gave him, she was too naive to really let instincts kick in that he was dangerous.

"Well, I mean... you barely touched your food and some of it ended up on the floor... Plus, Michonne said it didn't take you long at all to hunt. It takes Rick hours and hours to even get a squirrel."

Daryl bristled for some reason at the name 'Rick' and he didn't like it.

"Rick yer boyfriend or somethin'?"

"Gosh no! He's the one in charge where we're.... from." She seemed to catch herself before she could say more.

"So, no boys waiting back home for ya or anythin'?" He didn't know why he was so interested in knowing. This was a human, for crying out loud. And he was... well, him.

She shook her head no and appraised him some more. "You're so.... unique. Hot one minute and cold the next. I can't figure you out." She blushed momentarily and tried to hide it but Daryl saw the blood rush to her face. He sucked in a lung-full of air and held it, his eyes starting to turn black.

But unlike all humans who encountered him, she didn't seem to notice nor care that he was currently battling his inner-demon.

"Not many people can. I don't really roll out the red-carpet for most folks."

"So.... why us? Why help us when you don't have to?"

Daryl thought about that for a moment and he knew the answer almost instantly. He wanted to say because of her but knew that it would only scare her. So instead, he said the most sarcastic thing he could think of.

"Just wanted to act like I care for one day, I guess." 


End file.
